Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détecter

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The English translation of the French verb détecter is “to detect.” The infinitive form, détecter, is pronounced “day-teck-tay.”

The word détecter comes from the Latin word “detectare,” meaning “to uncover, discover.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of discovering or uncovering something, often in a scientific or investigative context.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, détecter is used to express a possibility or hypothetical situation in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je détectasse le problème avant qu’il ne devienne trop grave. (I had to detect the problem before it became too serious.)

  2. Si j’avais détecté sa maladie plus tôt, il aurait pu être soigné à temps. (If I had detected his illness earlier, he could have been treated in time.)

  3. Il était important que nous détectassions les défauts du produit avant de le mettre sur le marché. (It was important that we detected the flaws in the product before putting it on the market.)

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of détecter

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je détectasse Si je détectasse un problème, je le signalerais If I detected a problem, I would report it.
tu détectasses Si tu détectasses plus tôt, tu pourrais éviter le chaos. If you detected earlier, you could avoid the chaos.
il détectât Il serait important qu’il détectât les erreurs. It would be important for him to detect errors.
elle détectât Elle serait ravie si elle détectât une solution. She would be delighted if she detected a solution.
on détectât Si on détectât les signes, on pourrait agir. If one detected the signs, one could act.
nous détectassions Si nous détectassions ensemble, nous trouverions la réponse. If we detected together, we would find the answer.
vous détectassiez Si vous détectassiez les défauts, vous pourriez les corriger. If you detected the flaws, you could fix them.
ils détectassent S’ils détectassent la fraude, il y aurait des conséquences. If they detected fraud, there would be consequences.
elles détectassent Si elles détectassent le mensonge, ça serait évident. If they detected the lie, it would be obvious.

Other Conjugations for Détecter.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb détecter
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter (this article)

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter

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Détecter – About the French Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Imparfait, also known as the imperfect subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions, states, or conditions that are uncertain, subjective, or hypothetical in the past. It is used in a variety of situations, including wishes, doubts, emotions, and polite requests, and often occurs in dependent clauses following certain expressions and conjunctions.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Imparfait, you typically start with the third person plural (ils/elles) form of the verb in the imparfait (imperfect) tense. Then, you remove the -ent ending and add the appropriate endings:

– For regular -er verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.
– For regular -ir and -re verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

1. Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty: The Subjonctif Imparfait is used to express doubt or uncertainty about something that happened in the past.

Example: Il doutait qu’elle vînt à la fête. (He doubted that she came to the party.)

2. Wishes and Desires: It is used to express wishes or desires in the past.

Example: J’aurais aimé que tu fusses là. (I would have liked you to be there.)

3. Hypothetical Scenarios: The Subjonctif Imparfait is employed in hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: Si j’eusse su, j’aurais agi différemment. (If I had known, I would have acted differently.)
4. Polite Requests and Suggestions: It is used to make polite requests and suggestions in a formal or polite tone.

Example: Il souhaitait que vous vinssiez lui rendre visite. (He wished that you would come to visit him.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Subjonctif Présent

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used in dependent clauses with the Subjonctif Présent in the main clause, especially in complex sentences.

Example: Il faut que tu manges bien pour que tu aies de l’énergie. (You need to eat well so that you have energy.)

Indicatif Passé Composé

The Subjonctif Imparfait can be used alongside the Indicatif Passé Composé to indicate a contrast between a factual event and a hypothetical one.

Example: Il est parti avant que tu ne fusses arrivé. (He left before you arrived.)

Conditional

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used with the Conditional to express unreal or hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: J’aurais pu le faire si j’eusse eu plus de temps. (I could have done it if I had had more time.)

Conditional Perfect

It can also be used with the Conditional Perfect to express unreal or hypothetical past events that would have occurred before other past events.

Example: J’aurais su s’il eût partagé l’information. (I would have known if he had shared the information.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Imparfait is a relatively complex tense, and its usage depends on the context and the verbs involved. It is essential to practice and become familiar with common expressions and contexts where this tense is appropriate to use it effectively in everyday French communication.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb détecter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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